Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag has outlined his plans for the second season of the fully-electric FIA Formula E Championship in which he hopes to attract ‘three or four’ manufacturers – reinforcing the series as the centre of electric vehicle development and also help it gain world championship status. In an interview released on the official Formula E website and social media channels (www.fiaformulae.com), the series boss talks about his plans to move away from the current one-make format and open up the regulations to allow full manufacturer involvement. Teams would then be able to develop their own powertrains for year two in 2015/16 and their own batteries from season three.
“In year two the teams will be able to build their own batteries and their own motors,” said Agag. “They could build their own whole car if they wanted. But the regulations are quite strict and they don’t allow a lot of development in aerodynamics, but they do allow development in motor and battery. I would hope that we have three or four different makers of motors and batteries in the championship for year two.”
This move would also pave the way for Formula E to make a bid for world championship status with the series requiring the involvement of four manufacturers to become a world championship under FIA rules.
Speaking earlier in the month at the opening Formula ePrix in Beijing Agag said: “There is a condition of a world championship to have a certain number of manufacturers; you cannot be a world championship as a one-make series. “We hope to attract manufacturers, meet the conditions and hopefully the FIA will grant us world championship status.”
Formula E is the FIA’s new global electric race series designed to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fans. It represents a vision for the future of the motor industry, serving as a framework for R&D and accelerating the general interest in these cars. By encouraging manufacturers to develop their own powertrains and batteries, organisers hope the new technology will filter into the everyday EV market, helping to make electric vehicles more desirable.
